[STMP] Hotel Engine Booking Tips and User Guides

State of Texas Travelers have access to thousands of hotels through HotelEngine.com, so the goal for everyone is finding the property that is convenient for your state business trip, complies with state and agency travel and cost policies, and is comfortable and safe. The State of Texas Travel Management Program (STMP) and our partner Hotel Engine are working together to improve lodging opportunities for state travelers.

Highlights

• Updated HE Guides for Users, Coordinators & Admins
• Tips for booking a room quickly
• Canceling a reservation

New HE Guides for Users, Coordinators & Admins

Most people are used to online shopping and may not think you need a user guide for an online shopping site — essentially that what booking a room through Hotel Engine is most comparable to. But there are recently updated User Guides available, specifically for

• Users / Users (Direct Billing) — booking your own travel
• Coordinators / Coordinators (Direct Billing) — booking travel for others
• Administrators / Administrators (Direct Billing) — booking travel and managing agency users

Logged-in users can view or download them from the State of Texas FAQs linked at the FAQ button from any HotelEngine.com page.

Tips for Booking a Room Quickly

Know before you start:

• Dates of Travel
• Address of Duty Station
• Is your trip subject to last minute change?

Find and Reserve

1. Log into HotelEngine.com
2. Enter your destination address and check-in/check-out dates
3. When the Search page returns results, filter your search with the options at left: Price range slider GSA or lower filter Desired star rating Options you want such as free wifi, free parking, free breakfast, truck parking, laundry
4. Then select your preferred order to return results: Best value, Distance, Price order starting with highest or lowest
5. Select your preferred hotel: Check out the pictures and Amenities lists to see if it meets your need, such as interior room door access, breakfast room, fridge in room. If staying multiple nights, check the night rate breakout to see if any exceed the allowable reimbursement.
6. Select the room and move through to the Booking Confirmation page. Check the cancellation date if your work schedule is subject to change. Reserve the room.
7. Check the location, dates and rates on your confirmation email.

Cancelling a reservation 

All reservations booked through Hotel Engine must be cancelled through Hotel Engine. You can cancel your booking online or by contacting Hotel Engine Customer Support at support@hotelengine.com or 800-803-0452. Please note: The option to cancel within the Hotel Engine platform only applies to reservations that are still within the cancellation window. To cancel online, please follow these instructions:

1. Log in to HotelEngine.com.
2. Select the “Trips” tab.
3. Select the booking you want to cancel.
4. Select “Cancel Reservation” and confirm the cancellation request in the popup window.
5. You will receive an email confirmation once it is completed.

If your reservation has passed the cancellation deadline, the “Cancel Reservation” button will not appear. In this instance, please contact the Hotel Engine Customer Support to submit a cancellation request.

If you require assistance with cancelling, rebooking or changing a reservation in any way (number of rooms, length of stay, name of occupant, etc.), please call the Hotel Engine State of Texas support line at 800-803-0452 or email support@hotelengine.com.

STMP & 971-M1 CONTRACT SUPPORT

For questions about STMP or the 971-M1 contract, contact Nicklaus Watson, STMP Manager, at 512-936-8458, or contact Gerard MacCrossan, Data Management, Analytics & Technology Manager, at 512-463-4468.

State travelers may email STMP suggestions for program enhancements or send details about properties not available on Hotel Engine that would be helpful for travelers conducting state business.